The Doctor was waiting for the four of us on the top floor. We entered the room, and Eggs lifted their head before walking over to me, pushing me with their head and chirruping. I stumbled back several steps, taken aback by the force. They seemed to have got stronger even in the brief time that we'd been here, I wondered just how big my Wyvern might get, there would come a time there wouldn’t fit indoors at all, I was certain.

  “By your presence here, I'm assuming you've agreed to the task that the Council have set you.” The Doctor said, smiling as she unfolded a large leather bag on the table.

  “Yeah nothing too drastic, just spy on the monarch that's declared war for the first time in the Gods know how long, and don't get caught in the process” I said with a thin smile.

  “Not to mention the potential of weaponised Wyverns alongside any other delightful ideas the Cemfyllians might have had,” Gertha added.

  “Well, that's quite the mission indeed. You’re going to need as much help as you can get, and you can't just go wandering around a city with your own Wyvern for everyone to gawk at.”

  The Doctor pulled out a large Gold necklace with a red ruby in the centre. It was decadent in its opulence. The gem itself was probably the size of my entire palm. It hadn't even been dulled; the shine caught the light and flashed into my eye. I felt sorry for whichever poor fucker would have to wear that. They'd be bastard lizard bait as soon as it went around their neck.

  The Doctor then pulled out a long walking stick from the bag. That surprised me as the stick itself was at least twice the length of its container, after that emerged what looked like two halves of a bow, a bow string, arrows and a selection of hooked jagged and wavy metal utensils that she arranged over a smaller unrolled leather bag. She also threw a large pouch on the table, the noise it made told me immediately that it was full of coins. My heart leapt, I’d not heard a coin purse that heavy since my days training with Peevan, it was likely to be a lot.

  “What’s all this then?” I asked.

  “Helping hands on your journey.” She smiled.

  She held up the two halves of the bow before slotting one half into the other, making a complete set of limbs. She then produced a string, hooked it on and strung the bow against her leg.

  “This is an assembly bow, of my own design. It lets you keep the limbs in a bag or similar container and assemble them rather quickly. It’ll be easier to conceal than an actual bow and should get past the gate guards.”

  “Should?” I asked.

  “Depends how daft you are at concealing things.” She smiled.

  “What about the arrows? My draw length is at least up to my shoulder.” I said.

  She held one up, and twisted each end away from the other, after a few rotations, the arrows also came apart.

  “Same principle, you just have to twist them a bit. I’d assemble all your ammo before you start shooting. They drop a little faster than a typical arrow, but it’ll be better than not having

  them at all.” She said.

  I nodded, impressed. Any weapon that people weren’t expecting you to have was a potential advantage, and I was intrigued by the other objects now I’d seen the bow in its true light.

  “Nice work, I’ll have to think where to put it.”

  “Them,” she corrected me, “I have three, including this one, so you can have the lot. I’m improving the design anyway.”

  “Excellent!” Sayo said, “I can’t wait to loose it.”

  “If you’re using it, it’s because something has gone very wrong. Don’t go running into a premature death for the sake of novelty.” Gertha said, her voice firm and Sayo visibly winced.

  “Can’t fault a warrior for being excited about a new advantage that could keep ‘em living,” I said.

  Sayo shot me a grateful look while Gertha glowered. Seeking refuge, I then looked at Sila, who had chosen that moment to become engrossed in something between his feet.

  The Doctor came to my rescue by holding up one of the strange metal utensils.

  “These are lock picks, you use them to get through locked doors by pushing the pins inside the lock and holding tension with the flat bar.”

  “I’m familiar with these,” Sila said.

  “Surely not my Hold Son? Using the tools of thieves?” Gertha gasped.

  “You were…absent a long time, Melrisia.”

  It was Gertha’s time to wince now; that name had been a dagger in her heart. Unlike the times it’d been used when we were with Bulriar and the other nomads

  Why? It wasn’t a knot I could unpick now, but I resolved to try to understand at some point. There was still so much I didn’t know, even at this point.

  “I see.” Was all Gertha seemed to have to say, but I felt her eyes hid more behind them.

  “These next two items are for you, Tullen.” The Doctor said as she pushed the necklace and the stick across the table to me.

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  “That glinting necklace is for me? For fuck sake. I’ll be snaffled up by a Dragon or Wyrm before the day is out, wearing that. Or have my throat opened for it in an alley.”

  “Well, it’s either the necklace or you have to leave Eggs behind. Which will it be?” The Doctor said.

  “What do you mean by that?” I said, tension rising in my chest.

  “Fuck me, is that genuine? You can’t be serious?” Gertha said.

  “Oh, I am deadly serious, Gertha, it’s one of the most prized artefacts in our collection. We don’t use it lightly.”

  “Just looks like one of Perek’s toys to me,” I said.

  “It’s so much more than that, Tullen,” The Doctor said, holding the necklace up so it shone brighter in the light.

  “What is it then?” I asked, wary of the strange necklace.

  “It’s an Appearer. You can use it to store a person or creature within it, then when you crack the gem, they appear out of it, with no time having passed for them.” The Doctor said.

  “That’s mad. You’re telling me that I could store Eggs in that and just pop them out whenever I like?”

  “Sadly, no, you can only use it once, then it disintegrates. The method to make them has been lost to time, and very few remain. Tullen, we do not give you this lightly, but there is no other way for you to have Eggs with you and enter the city without causing alarm.”

  “You could always make me leave them behind,” I said, knowing full well that would never be something I’d do willingly.

  “We all know you’d never countenance that, Tullen, and we want to work with you. Not make you our enemy.” She smiled.

  I smiled too; they were smart. They had no end of magic, their own Li’ard and half of them were already dead. But if they crossed me, I would take them apart, one by one, until only me and mine remained. It was good that they knew that.

  “Okay, so we have something that’s rarer than a monarch who isn’t an arse and…a stick?” I said.

  The Doctor laughed, the noise rapidly eroding my veil of sarcasm; it was a lovely sound, and I was pleased I’d caused it.

  “You’ll love this one.” She grinned as she picked up the walking stick and slowly pulled the top away from it, revealing a long, thin blade.

  I laughed, “Now that is my favourite.”

  “As should be obvious, this is a concealed sword in a walking stick. Any veteran of a Li’ard attack is likely to use one, and as a last resort, you’ll be able to surprise an opponent.”

  “Can I try it?” I asked, feeling like a child being given a present on the day of their birth.

  “Don’t cut yourself.” She laughed.

  She tossed the blade over to me, and I caught it, flourishing once before dropping into a ready stance. It reminded me of the needle prickers Peevan had started me off on learning. It had been a few years, but the lessons of the Kingfisher style of duelling came back to me. My right leg and foot pointed forward, my left foot's heel in line with my right heel, but pointed out at ninety degrees. I bent my legs enough for me to drop a few inches without making my knees go past my ankles. I held my blade out in the sixth parry icicle. My arm bent at the elbow, keeping it in line with my floating rib as my forearm pointed forward and upward. I held the disguised sword in a relaxed grip with my thumb on top. I moved it through some basic forms and grunted in satisfaction. This was a precious gift indeed.

  The blade was light, much lighter than the one I’d taken from the caravan site in what felt like a lifetime ago. They were ancient duelling blades, used in the courts of kings and queens back when killing another human with a sword wasn’t reprehensible but seen as a good sport. This blade would have difficulty against a Li’ard and most armour, but get it into a weak spot, or the soft parts of the body, and your victim would have a bloody terrible time. I was pleased to have it in my possession.

  “I’ve never seen a man so happy.” Sayo laughed.

  “Just don’t poke our eyes out, eh, Tullen?” Sila chuckled.

  “Doctor, you have no idea how happy you just made me.” I grinned.

  “I’m pleased, but it does come with bad news.” She said.

  “What bad news might that be?” I asked, feeling my excitement ebb away.

  “No refugee would be seen with an actual sword in Cemfyllen, or indeed any city. You’ll have to leave your other one behind.”

  I groaned. It made perfect sense, but I’d got used to this blade, and it had helped me out of a few scrapes. While I would always miss my old blade, this one had served me well, and I felt oddly emotional about having to part with it. It was like losing an arm and a piece of your heart at the same time. If you’ve never trained with a blade, you wouldn’t understand.

  I unsheathed my current blade and held it up in the light.

  “Thanks for having my back,” I said, before kissing the flat of the blade and then wiping it on my sleeve. I didn’t want the wet from my lips to make it rust in my absence.

  “I’ll keep it safe, Tullen, along with your armour. Refugees don’t wear that either. Besides, you can watch the bag of coins that will pay for your lodgings!” The Doctor said.

  “Do you want my clothes too, might as well walk around with my necklace, sword cane and bare arse?”

  “Tull, you know it makes sense, stop being a loon,” Gertha said, a slight smirk on her face.

  I turned toward her, “Ah, look whose clouds have parted for a smidge of sunlight at my expense, eh?” I said it with a laugh, so she knew I wasn’t actually giving her a hard time.

  She punched me in the arm.

  “Ouch! That hurt! You old woman.” I snapped. Eggs jumped up and started sniffing the group of us intently, only backing off when I held my hand up.

  “I could turn you inside out if I wanted,” Gertha said with a smile.

  I didn’t say anything else; I knew she probably could.

  “So, when do we leave? We have a long walk ahead of us.” Sila said, rubbing the back of his head.

  “Well, we need to get Eggs into their new accommodation. Then we need to disguise Tullen’s rather distinctive mark, and then Leech will get you close to Cemfyllen.” The Doctor said, pulling a small pot of fine powder out from her robe.

  “Not that bloody yellow light thing, please.” Sayo sighed.

  “Sorry, but we can’t waste time or risk you being picked off in the forests, or did you forget the Fell Dragon Leech got you away from?” The Doctor said, her voice hard as granite.

  Sayo sighed and crossed her arms.

  “We can cope with a little vomit to skip all that horseshit,” I said.

  “Excellent. Well, no time to waste. Tullen, let’s get your Wyvern sorted out, and then I’m going to sort your mark out.”

  “How are you going to do that then?”

  “With two of the fiercest weapons available to humanity. Magic, and makeup!” The Doctor grinned as Eggs and I looked at each other.

  I didn’t know who would have it worse.

  "Let's get it over with." I sighed.